TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY Romain FONSEGRIVES, "Portland, the ex-utopia of the American left, in the midst of an identity crisis"
Erica Hetfeld looks on as people use fentanyl openly in the street in downtown Portland, Oregon on January 25, 2024. Hetfeld and her family moved out of downtown Portland due to safety concerns following the decriminalization of all drugs.
In the midst of a presidential election year, Portland's decline is brandished by the conservative press depicting a city ravaged by its progressive ideals, in a state controlled by the left for over 40 years. "It's a tragedy," says Hetfeld, a real estate professional, as three scruffy men smoke fentanyl - an opioid up to 50 times more potent than heroin - near her office. "Before drugs were decriminalized, we didn't see this." (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP)